


Later

by DixonsCarol



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27877545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixonsCarol/pseuds/DixonsCarol
Summary: a little moment between Carol and Daryl in the aftermath of the whisperer war
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier
Comments: 10
Kudos: 23





	Later

The battle is finally over. They can go home, tend to their emotional and physical wounds and try to forget the nightmare they have been through at the hands of Alpha and her whisperers. It has been a few very long days and nights since the battle at Hilltop, but they are finally ready to truly mourn the loved ones lost along the way, rebuild their communities and go back to whatever is the new normal. 

Despite the immense relief Daryl is feeling right now, he knows sooner or later another threat will come, and once again, they must be ready to fight for the people they love and their communities. It’s an endless cycle of relative normalcy and war that is completely exhausting him down to the bone. Maggie is back so she can take the lead on how and where they should start rebuilding, while Daryl’s got other more important matters to attend to - like Carol’s emotional well-being… Carol. If only he knew where the heck she ran off to, now. 

Daryl is even more tired of worrying one day Carol will disappear on him for good. How many times has she put him through the exact same thing? The closer they get, the harder it is to pretend it doesn’t hurt him to know she won’t or can’t trust him enough to open up, to let him in and share her own pain with him. 

Daryl continues to frantically look for Carol. There are absolutely no signs of her back at the tower, so he half-runs all the way back to Alexandria in record time. The place is mostly deserted, and only a few stray walkers roam the streets. His knees are starting to feel the pain of his newly found habit of following Carol around, wherever she decides to run or hide in order to avoid him. At least, it feels like she’s been trying to avoid him ever since she came out of that damn boat. He dispatches a couple of walkers on his way to the home they share, hoping and praying to find her inside.

Carol, with a warm cup of tea between her hands, sees Daryl coming through their kitchen window and immediately feels a pang of guilt for not letting him know she was leaving because she desperately needed some quiet time by herself to think. She can tell he’s angry just by the way he is moving. She would be amused, if she wasn’t so ashamed of everything she put him through. How could she face him after everything she’s done and what she was ready to sacrifice at the cliff if Lydia hadn’t stopped her? “We have a future,” he had told her, but Carol hadn’t stopped to think how her decisions would affect him, too.

After Daryl walks through the door, it doesn’t take long to spot Carol with her back to him, looking out the window. Thank God. Here she is, yet he has no idea what to say to avoid sounding as mad as he really is and unintentionally hurting her. He thought they were good, that they could take the time to talk and mend their relationship, but she just sneaked out on her own again after he told her New Mexico’s still out there. He wants to scream, but she doesn’t move an inch. She has to know he is here, why won’t she look at him?

As he checks her up and down, the way he instinctively does to look for any sign of harm, the sight of Carol’s reflection in the window reveals she is silently crying as she places the cup in the sink and corrects her stance like she’s preparing for a fight. Immediately, his anger dissipates, Daryl can handle anything, except to see her cry. Again. He moves slowly in her direction, not wanting to scare her away somehow, and carefully places his hands on her shoulders, leisurely running them up and down her arms. He does not resist the urge to put his arms around her, hugging her tight, her back to his chest to breathe her familiar sweet scent. “ **You’re here** ,” Daryl whispers in her ear before he drops a kiss on the right side of her head. He can feel her shaking and sobbing as they stay in that position for what feels like an eternity.

Eventually, after her tears subside, Carol, feeling as overwhelmed as she is relieved he came back for her (of course, he would, why does she keep doubting his unconditional love and support?), turns around in Daryl’s arms to hug him back, tight, and mimic his actions by kissing his earlobe, whispering, “ **We’re here.** ” She feels him shivering and the moment feels a lot more intimate than she intended, or perhaps, it’s exactly what she wants and needs. 

Carol can’t handle all the emotions raging inside of her, wanting to come out and be exposed, so she breaks the hug, and takes one small step back, not being able to completely break the moment, she looks deeply into his eyes, searching for a hint of how/what to say next. Daryl is patiently looking at her, not rushing her in any way, and just giving her the time to make a decision. “I’m sorry,” she says. It’s a start, however, she knows it’s not nearly enough as she’s stuck by the emotions she sees reflected in his eyes. He deserves more, he deserves better.

Before Carol can spill her deepest, potentially life altering secret, Daryl, catching movement outside the window as the group finally makes their return to Alexandria and their respective homes, averts his eyes. The moment is broken so Carol drops her head, looking down at their feet. Daryl takes one of her cold small hands between his own, squeezes tight to bring her attention back to him, and tells her, “Later.” She nods. She’s bone tired, and she’s not ready, yet. “Hey, later,” he repeats more firmly. She really doesn't want him to ever let go of her hand. This is where she feels safe and warm. Home. As Maggie and the kids come through the door, he lets her hand go and turns around to welcome them. She retreats to her room.

 **Later.** Carol will find him and she will tell him, later.

**Author's Note:**

> I was encouraged to write my first ever fanfic (!!!!!!) inspired by a little drabble I wrote back in 2017 after the war with the saviors. Here's the original: 
> 
> Daryl is frantically looking for Carol, she had his back, she was just behind him, but now he can’t see her anywhere. He finally finds her in their old kitchen, she’s alone, deep in thought and drinking some water. They just look at each other, neither says a word as he walks up to her, wanting to touch her, make sure she’s herself, safe and alive. He reaches for her but the armor is in the way, it’s awkward, so he takes a step back, just looking deep into her eyes as if asking permission for something. She nods and turns her back to him, a silent request for help. As he worries about what it means to have her back in this place, he runs his hands up and down her arms then helps her out of the heavy protective gear. As soon as it’s off, he hugs her from behind, dares to drop a kiss on the right side of her head just above the ear and whispers, “You’re here.” She quickly turns around in his arms to hug him back, tight, and whispers back, “We’re here.”


End file.
